pain point

noun

plural pain points

: a persistent or recurring problem (as with a product or service) that frequently inconveniences or annoys customers

When you're in an established market, you have an established customer; their needs and pain points are clearly laid out on your competitors' review sites.

—Billy Polson

Customer service, which has been a pain point of bigger banks for years, is also improving in that it's getting faster and requires little from you.

—Chris Welch

broadly : something that is a recurring source of trouble, annoyance, or distress

Meanwhile, ironing is a pain point with her boyfriend because she loves the look of a crisply pressed men's shirt. "He never irons his shirts and it drives me crazy," she [Elyse Moody] says.

—Jura Konicus

Examples of pain point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One differentiator is color—a pain point that inspired Ilia’s latest, its Limitless Lash in a new chocolatey hue. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 May 2025

AMCs can fill a critical role in taking on big challenges, such as pioneering treatments for chronic and life-threatening health conditions, while other providers address the pain points around the desire for instant access for maladies that can be diagnosed and treated in a single virtual visit. —Dr. Marschall Runge, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Despite these pain points, Molise is arguably Italy’s last great frontier, the country’s proverbial Wild West. —Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2025

The company will uncover trends, preferences and pain points for existing users while predicting potential customers’ needs. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pain point

• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• pinpoint
• standpoint